“We need to keep them at bay and not let them suffocate us too early and all of a sudden we’ll have more options on offense,” MacIntyre said at Tuesday’s weekly media luncheon. “We’ll move the ball better than people have moved on them if we can not let them get up 28 points, bang, bang, bang.

“That’s a big ‘if.’ Nobody’s done it. That’s our goal, to be able to do that. And win the game is our main goal.”

MacIntyre called the 4-0 (1-0 Pac-12) Ducks “the best team in the country” before backing off and saying they’re one of the top two or three. But it’s clear deep down he sees them as No. 1.

“I’d say right now the way they’re clicking off and beating everybody, it’s not even close,” he said. “At halftime it’s over. Every game. It’s over. Hopefully, this one won’t be over and we’ll be right in it. That’s what we plan on doing.”

It will help if Colorado pumps up its rushing attack and keeps Oregon’s offense off the field. The Buffaloes (2-1, 0-1) are 103rd nationally in rushing at 115.7 yards per game.

“Today we rotated them in and out,” MacIntyre said. “We’ll discuss it more Thursday. We play them continuously during the week. They rotate and get all the plays. We practice so hard we can’t run them all the time. Just one guy, you’ll wear them out for Saturday.

“Right now you’ll see Michael Adkins as much as you saw him last week unless something happens. Christian Powell you’ll see him at tailback and you might see him at fullback, too.”

John Henderson: jhenderson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnhendersondp

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